Alger County, Michigan

Alger County ( AL-jər) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 8,842. It is the state's second-largest county by area, including the waters of Lake Superior. The county seat is Munising. Alger County is home to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which features rock formations, waterfalls, and sand dunes along the shore of Lake Superior. Much of the county is also part of the Hiawatha National Forest. History Alger County was detached from Schoolcraft County, set off and organized in 1885. The county was named for lumber baron Russell Alexander Alger, who was elected as a Michigan Governor, and US Senator, and appointed as US Secretary of War during the William McKinley Presidential administration. See also, List of Michigan county name etymologies, List of Michigan counties, and List of abolished U.S. counties. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,048 square miles (13,070 km2), of which 915 square miles (2,370 km2) is land and 4,133 square miles (10,700 km2) (82%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Michigan by total area, mainly because of Lake Superior on the north side of the county. Highways Adjacent counties By land Luce County – east Schoolcraft County – southeast Delta County – south Marquette County – west By water Thunder Bay District, Ontario – north National protected areas Grand Island National Recreation Area Hiawatha National Forest (part) Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Demographics Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,842. The median age was 49.4 years. 15.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 123.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 129.6 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 83.3% White, 6.6% Black or African American, 3.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population. <0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 3,609 households in the county, of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.4% were married-couple households, 21.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 6,169 housing units, of which 41.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 83.7% were owner-occupied and 16.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 18.8%. 2010 census As of the 2010 census, Alger County had a population of 9,601. The racial makeup of the county was 86.3% White, 6.4% Black or African American, 4.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% of some other race and 2.7% of two or more races; of them 1.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Regarding specific ethnicities, 15.7% of the population was of German heritage, 13.5% Finnish, 12.6% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 9.3% English, 7.3% Polish, 6.9% Irish and 5.3% American ancestry. In 2010, there were 3,898 households, out of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.74. In the county, the population was spread out, with 17.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.3 years. The population was 54.4% male and 45.6% female. In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $38,231, and the median income for a family was $46,154. The per capita income for the county was $19,858. About 9.3% of people in families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over. The 2021 census estimates showed the county had a median household income of $48,822. Government The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships. Politics Alger County was reliably Republican from the beginning through 1928. Since then it has voted for the Democratic nominee 67% (16 of 24) of the time, though it has voted Republican in the last four elections. Communities City Munising (county seat) Village Chatham Civil townships Census-designated place Grand Marais Unincorporated communities Other locations Indian reservations Alger County contains two very small portions of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians tribal community, which is headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie in Chippewa County. One portion is in the northeastern corner of Au Train Township, and another slightly larger portion is about two miles south of Munising in Munising Township. See also List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Alger County National Register of Historic Places listings in Alger County, Michigan References External links Alger County Online Greater Munising Bay Partnership for Commerce Development & Alger County Chamber County Profile, Sam M Cohodas Regional Economist, Tawni Hunt Ferrarini, Ph.D. National Association of Counties - Alger County, MI Alger County Sheriff's Office US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 26-12 "Bibliography on Alger County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved July 2, 2013.